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Top Places & Things To Do in Bora Bora

Bora Bora

By Alexandra TzourtziPublished 10 months ago 4 min read
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Bora Bora is a true paradise. After visiting, I can see why it's one of the most popular vacation destinations. There's the main island with its dormant volcano, and then it's surrounded by coral reefs that protect it from the waves of the ocean. Inside the reef there's a lagoon that's home to some of the clearest water in the world, and it's full of wildlife, like sharks and Rays.

Sharks and rays, let's talk about them seriously, especially when it comes to Bora Bora. The history of this island is quite fascinating. It was initially inhabited by Polynesians in the third century, and later on, European explorers discovered it in the 1700s. In ancient times, it was known as "poor poor maitipora," meaning "created by the gods." And I must say, even today, Bora Bora lives up to its divine name with its pristine beauty.

To reach Bora Bora, we flew into Tahiti and then took a short 50-minute flight to the island. The airport, located on Motu Mute, is a small island on the reef. To get to the mainland or the resorts, you need to take a ferry. Since we were staying on the mainland, we hopped on the ferry provided by Air Tahiti for a quick 15-minute boat ride to Vaitape. The ferry ride was quite surreal, especially as we approached the island during sunset. The sky turned shades of pink and orange, creating a breathtaking view. From the top deck of the ferry, the scenery was simply incredible, and we even had the pleasure of witnessing a full moon that looked almost unreal due to its perfect appearance.

After arriving in Vaitape, we took a taxi to our Airbnb. Speaking of accommodations, let's delve into the options available in Bora Bora. The most renowned resorts are situated on the islands or motus surrounding Bora Bora. Some of the popular ones include the Intercontinental, the Conrad, and the Four Seasons. These resorts offer stunning views and extraordinary experiences but can be quite expensive. Unfortunately, they were beyond my budget for this trip, but perhaps I'll have the opportunity to stay in one of them next time. For those seeking more affordable options, I recommend looking for places on the mainland. There are luxurious resorts like the Intercontinental Le Moana, which cost about half the price of the motu resorts. As for us, we decided to go with an Airbnb for the first couple of nights, and we found some fantastic options ranging from $100 to $500 per night.

When it comes to transportation on Bora Bora, you can rent a car or a scooter. Since I wanted to explore the entire island, I opted for a rental car from Avis. It was reasonably priced, at around $150 per day. Surprisingly, we were able to drive around the entire mainland of Bora Bora in just about an hour. I was genuinely impressed by the beauty and infrastructure of this small island.

One remarkable place to visit on the mainland is Matira Beach. Located on the southern end of the island, it is the largest public beach on Bora Bora's mainland. The beach boasts white sand and incredibly clear ocean water. You can walk out quite far into the lagoon since it's not very deep, and the water is warm, like a bathtub. While swimming there, you might even get lucky and spot some rays. It's the perfect spot to relax, soak up some vitamin D, and enjoy the mainland experience.

One interesting fact about Bora Bora is the constant current in the lagoon. All the water enters the lagoon as the waves crash against the reef from the Pacific Ocean. However, there's only one outlet in the lagoon through which all the water flows out. You can observe the lines created by the current in the water. Personally, one of my favorite activities was to jump into the water at the southernmost point of the island and float along like a giant lazy river before swimming back to shore.

Another incredible feature of Bora Bora is Mount Otemanu. This dwarf volcano dominates the island's.

Let me

know where your favorite place or

activity is in Bora Bora in the comments.

travel tipstravel photographytravel listssolo travelguidefamily travelcouples travelbudget travelactivities
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Alexandra Tzourtzi

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